


Unlocked

by suhossineun



Series: does it feel (better than love) [2]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Angry Byun Baekhyun, Arguing, Canon Compliant, Cuddling & Snuggling, Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fights, Freeform, Heavy Drinking, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, pubg, showering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-14 05:12:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11776200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suhossineun/pseuds/suhossineun
Summary: Three times Junmyeon needs Baekhyun, whether he knows it or not.





	Unlocked

**Author's Note:**

> is baekmyeon finally out of my system? yes? no??
> 
> twitter is @suhossineun come chat

I  
They haven’t had the opportunity to all gather together to eat and drink like this, all nine members. Yixing hadn’t been in Korea in ages, and everyone’s schedules kept them apart even if in the same country. So the plan for the night was to go all out now that they finally could. They chose one of their favourite restaurants, a place where they knew they would be safe from scandalous pictures being taken of them, or rumors being spread about them afterwards. The food was great and the alcohol plentiful, which was all they cared about. The next day would be a rare day off, too, so everyone could nurture their hangovers in peace, and that was a rare bonus. An opportunity such as this could not be wasted. 

But Baekhyun starts feeling a little unwell after the third shot of soju, so he quickly switches over to coke and an occasional sip of beer. It’s kind of a bummer and Chanyeol and Jongdae give him shit for it, of course, but he really couldn’t be bothered by it. 

They all poke fun of one another so much and so often that no one minds anymore, and Baekhyun especially has no right to complain since he’s always the one to initiate the tomfoolery. He could usually drink as much as anyone, but tonight just wasn’t going to be his night. No matter; he’d make up for it next time, and show stupid Chanyeol and Jongdae what he’s got. He’d drink them under the table, for sure.

At around 3a.m., everyone’s finally had enough. They’ve eaten their stomachs full, and drank enough soju, wine, and beer to hike up the bill to ridiculous numbers, which means it’s been a good night overall. They stand up, all more or less wobbly on their feet, and Yixing insists on paying because he hasn’t been in Korea in ages and wants to spoil the members a little bit. No one tries to argue against it even for the sake of being polite; they’re much too close and much too financially well off for that to be necessary.

As they’re waiting for everyone to get their jackets back on and people to come back from the toilets so that they can all pile up in the manager’s van, Junmyeon appears out of nowhere and clings onto Baekhyun like a koala bear. He’s resting his head on Baekhyun’s shoulder, eyes half closed, and his arms go around Baekhyun’s middle in a firm grip even if he’s unsteady on his feet even standing still. Baekhyun wraps his arm around his shoulders without thinking, smiling down at his cute hyung.

Everyone knows that Junmyeon is naturally very affectionate, and so full of cuteness that it’s a miracle it all fits into his tight, compact body. Even sober, he likes to showcase his aegyo to anyone who will listen, much to the members’ chagrin. But alcohol brings that out even more, and he gets obnoxiously needy sometimes. It’s the reason why he ends up cuddling others to sleep after drinking with them, and while everyone of course teases him for it, they secretly adore it. Well, they do tease their small leader for just about everything; he takes it so well, enjoys the attention, and it’s a lot of fun. But Baekhyun finds that the very things he bullies Junmyeon for in public are also the things that make him so, so fond of him deep down.

Tonight, Junmyeon was seated between Jongdae and Minseok, which definitely explains how he ended up this drunk. Jongdae kept pouring him a shot after another, and Junmyeon, being the good sport that he is, drank them all with hardly any coaxing from Jongdae. Minseok only sat there and laughed, poking gentle fun of Junmyeon, who in turn just pouted at his only real hyung in the group. And this is the end result, a soft and needy Junmyeon, who’s currently trying to snuggle up to Baekhyun even more closely than he already is. Baekhyun isn’t drunk, he’s hardly even tipsy, but he still has to fight to keep his balance with the way Junmyeon is pushing to get closer to him. If he was any more coordinated right now, Junmyeon would probably climb on him like a real koala indeed.

“Do you need to use the bathroom?” he asks, stroking the back of Junmyeon’s head. Junmyeon’s cheeks are flushed and his eyes are glossy, his lips red from the spice in the food, and he looks absolutely gorgeous despite the state he’s in. Baekhyun has to wait a bit before his words fully sink in, and then Junmyeon shakes his head in silent response. 

“Are you sure? The drive’s like twenty minutes. You should go pee.” Baekhyun smiles knowingly to himself. The habit of being the hyung has already stuck, not that he minds it.

Junmyeon shakes his head again, rubs his cheek against Baekhyun’s shoulder. Sometimes, when Junmyeon is drunk, he stops talking- it either means he’s really content or really sad, and Baekhyun has a feeling that this time it’s the former. 

“Suit yourself,” he says with a laugh, squeezes Junmyeon a little tighter, pats his bum several times. What a cutie, this one.

Junmyeon won’t let go of him even as they exit the restaurant, and Baekhyun has to half carry, half drag him to get him all the way to the van. Working out really paid off, even if it’s just to lug around drunk guys, Baekhyun thinks to himself with a smile as he steadies Junmyeon from behind while he climbs into the van and collapses into the backseat. Baekhyun fastens the seatbelt for him as well, and sits down next to him to hold his hand for the entire ride.

“Boyfriends,” Minseok teases, but Baekhyun isn’t in the mood to even retort anything back.

He ought to send Junmyeon upstairs with Sehun so he could go and sleep in his own bed, and sharing a bed with someone who’s going to be hungover can sometimes be really gross, but he doesn’t have the heart to let go of Junmyeon. Not when he’s hanging onto his shoulders from behind as soon as they get out of the car, nose buried in the fabric of his hoodie in between his shoulder blades. So Baekhyun waddles into the elevator like that, and gets off at his own floor, brings Junmyeon in. Minseok, Kyungsoo, and Jongdae don’t comment, although they all give Junmyeon affectionate touches as they pass them by at the doorway, wish them goodnight quietly. 

Taking off his own shoes is an impossible feat, it seems, as Junmyeon just drops down on the floor and sits there, legs spread wide, looking a little bit lost but still smiling all dopey and happy. Baekhyun coos at the sight, and crouches down to pull off his sneakers, and also takes off Junmyeon’s jacket and hangs it up. 

“You wouldn’t hang up your jacket even if you were sober, would you,” he teases him, and earns a pout in response. But despite his poutiness, Junmyeon reaches out with both of his arms, wiggling his fingers to wordlessly ask for Baekhyun to come closer, for him to help him back up again. And of course, Baekhyun obeys, gladly so; whatever Junmyeon needs, he’ll provide. He slips his arms under Junmyeon’s armpits and lifts him up like so, and they make their way to his bedroom together. Baekhyun doesn’t even bother turning any lights on, as he knows his way around the room well enough even in the darkness.

Junmyeon is happy to be babied, and so Baekhyun is left with the task of undressing him and helping him into bed. The small man lays down in the middle of the blankets and curls up small into a fetus position, like he always does. It’s a sight that never fails to make his friends’ hearts ache- he sleeps like a child, they say, and Baekhyun can’t help but agree.

Baekhyun takes his time getting ready for bed, convinced that Junmyeon can handle being by himself for a hot minute. He goes and washes his face in the bathroom, brushes his teeth, has a drink of water in the kitchen. He grabs a bottle of water for Junmyeon, too, as well as a bucket, just in case, and brings these into the bedroom. Junmyeon turns his head to look at him, blinking slowly and sleepily at him, but he refuses the water with a shake of his head. Baekhyun doesn’t press it, and just leaves it on the nightstand before placing the bucket on the floor beside the bed.

“You’re so adorable,” he sighs as he sits down at the edge of the bed, and runs his fingers through Junmyeon’s hair a few times. He could take a makeup wipe or something and clean Junmyeon’s face with it, but maybe that would go overboard- he has to draw the line somewhere, or else there’s no telling just how far he might go for Junmyeon. He has a feeling that he’d go much, much further than what would be healthy, even if Junmyeon is the last person who would abuse that in any way. But even so.

He slips underneath the covers and spoons Junmyeon from behind, pressing his chest solidly against Junmyeon’s back and rubbing his hand down Junmyeon’s shoulder, arm, side, hip. He hooks one ankle in between Junmyeon’s, like an anchor, and then wraps his arm around him. Junmyeon’s hand finds his, and his fingers slip in between his more slender digits, Junmyeon’s thumb pressed into the middle of his palm gently.

“Good night, Junmyeon-ah,” Baekhyun murmurs, pressing a kiss just below Junmyeon’s hair line. He doesn’t get a verbal response, but the way that Junmyeon wriggles closer to him already speaks volumes.

II  
Baekhyun is fuming, fuming with anger even if it’s such a rare feeling for him. But how could he not be mad, when he’s had to endure two hours of watching Junmyeon hurt himself through the large mirrors of the dance practice room?

Practice is as normal, that is not even the issue. It’s late at night, after everyone finished with their individual schedules and arrived to go through their choreography together for a couple of hours, the usual. They’ve already been working on this choreography for some time but it’s challenging for all of them, and most importantly they still have to work on getting everything synchronized, getting everything just right. But this is what they’ve been doing for years, now, all of them, and even though it’s difficult, they know the drill. There are no surprises to it anymore.

He himself has gotten tremendously better at dancing over the years, which is no surprise given how little time he had before debut to learn anything. He was bound to get better at it, his natural athleticism showing through, to the point where he doesn’t hold anyone back anymore. For that, Baekhyun is proud.

What he isn’t proud of, though, is Junmyeon. He usually is, he always is, but right now- He’s been holding in his frustration as best as he could after Junmyeon made it clear he wasn’t going to listen to reason, but it’s bubbling to the surface and he doesn’t know if he’ll able to suppress it.

Junmyeon hurt his wrists years ago, a combination of carelessness on stage as well as overworking himself at the gym. Lately, his wrists have been acting up again, which is hard to miss because he’s gone back to wearing his braces, the black material a stark contrast against his pale skin even if he’s wearing long sleeves. If that was the extent of it, Baekhyun could be at peace; it’s an old injury, and there’s nothing to be done about it. But it’s painfully clear from just watching Junmyeon move, that he’s hurt his back somehow as well. He’s moving too cautiously, too carefully, and is getting scolded by the choreographer for not putting his all in. And Junmyeon, true to his hardworking nature, doesn’t even try and explain why, just pushes himself harder despite how the pain is obviously getting worse and worse by the minute. It could be just a minor injury that he got at the gym earlier, but at this rate it’s going to develop into something a lot worse, and Baekhyun has already seen on Jongin and Yixing how devastating back injuries can be.  
He doesn’t want that for anyone on their team, and especially not Junmyeon.

Baekhyun is sending him murderous looks through the mirror, but to no avail. Junmyeon is too busy pretending he doesn’t see, too busy pretending that everything’s alright. That’s what he’s good at, for sure, and as necessary as it is in their profession, Baekhyun despises it. With all of his being. 

He already tried approaching Junmyeon, tried talking to him during a toilet break, but Junmyeon brushed him off. Something about how he doesn’t want to hold them back, how much he needs this practice. That he shouldn’t worry. Bullshit, Baekhyun thinks.

He starts glaring at other members, trying to get them to speak up, do something. But no- he can tell everyone knows that something’s up with Junmyeon, but no one says anything to stop him from going through the dance practice. Is he the only one who has any sense of responsibility left? But because no one is siding with him, he knows that trying to argue would be useless. They’d just say, Junmyeon hyung knows his body best, he knows what he’s doing, he knows when to stop. Bullshit, again.

So by the time that practice finally ends, Baekhyun is barely holding in his rage. He doesn’t spare Junmyeon even a glance before storming out of the practice room and all the way to the elevators. He only puts on a smile for the fans still standing outside as he gets into the van, but that gets wiped away as soon as he’s in the safety of the car. He watches with gritted teeth the way Junmyeon walks out of the building, how he struggles to descend even the five stairs to get to the cars. 

He wants to scream.

His mood is completely rotten and no one dares to speak a word to him on the way to the dorms. No one really knows how to handle him when he’s this upset, it’s such a rare occurrence, especially because there is no evident reason for his behavior. The car ride is silent, which leaves Baekhyun to fume by himself, only further fueling his own anger as he simmers in it.

At the dorms, he marches over to the other car and grabs Junmyeon by the arm as soon as he steps out, drags him with him inside the building and all the way to the dorms. Junmyeon whimpers, unable to hold it back, but doesn’t try and stop him. Maybe he’s too weak by now to even try. 

There’s no way to try and be discreet about this, not with the way the walls are paper thin. Baekhyun walks him into the living room, shoves him on the couch, and winces then as he sees how Junmyeon’s face contorts in pain at the sudden movement. But the flash of guilt only blends and bleeds into his anger.

“When will you start taking your own fucking advice?” He tries not to raise his voice, but it’s too much restraint that he doesn’t have right now. He’s exhausted, and he’s sick and tired of watching Junmyeon get hurt. “When will you start taking care of yourself like you tell us to do all the fucking time?”

Junmyeon sighs, rubs his eyes tiredly. The eyebags stand loud and clear against his pale complexion. “Baekhyun, you know I needed the practice-”

“And what good is the practice going to do to you, if you are so injured that you can’t even perform?” Baekhyun screams back, hands crossed over his chest to make sure he doesn’t do anything rash with them. “How the hell do you think you’re going to get on stage, if you’re pushing yourself over your limit before the promotions even begin?”

Junmyeon grits his teeth, his fingers twitching in his lap like he doesn’t know what to do with his hands. “It’s not that serious, I know what I’m doing. I know where my limit is.”

“Clearly you don’t!” All constraint has gone out of the window, and Baekhyun has forgotten they have spectators- no one is brave enough to stand in the living room, but they’re all ears in their own bedrooms. “Your wrists are fucked up, and now your back is as well, and who knows how much in pain you’re gonna be tomorrow! How fucking fantastic is that. You always nag at us and tell us to look after ourselves, you won’t fucking shut up about how important staying healthy is, and then you do this to yourself. Some fucking leader you are.”

The words land like a physical punch, and Junmyeon flinches, curls in on himself, before his temper gets the best of him and he stands up too, takes a step to get in Baekhyun’s face. “You don’t talk to me like that!” he yells, his eyes wet. “You have no right to talk to me like that!”

Baekhyun isn’t ready to step down. He, too, takes a step forward, uses all of his height against Junmyeon even if their height difference is an inch at most. “But it’s the truth,” he spits out. “You can’t tell us one thing and then do the opposite. You can’t let yourself be hurt over and over again! How do you think we all feel watching you in pain, how do you think it feels to worry about you because you won’t be responsible for yourself!”

Again, Junmyeon looks like he just got hit, and he opens and closes his mouth, looking for words that don’t come. As the leader, he’s usually the mediator when others fight, not the one directly involved. And it’s even rarer that any of the members directly challenge him like so, but Baekhyun simply cannot stand to keep his silence. He presses on.

“You sacrifice yourself for us so much and you don’t even see how it’s hurting us! Hurting us, because we care about you, and never want to see you in pain or unwell! But no, you keep doing this to yourself, and don’t allow any of us to help. Do you really think that you’re so insignificant that your wellbeing doesn’t affect the whole team? What will the fans say, seeing you limp, or unable to dance properly? Wearing your braces again?”

Finally, Baekhyun runs out of steam. He takes a step back, staring at Junmyeon, hoping to see that he understands what he’s trying to say. But Junmyeon has closed him off, now, his eyes dark, his mouth a thin line, his breaths uneven and shaky. 

Seconds tick by, the tension building up, and eventually Baekhyun turns away, can’t stand it any longer. “Go shower, and then we’ll ice your muscles,” he snaps. “If you can- you can’t lift up your arms, can you? I’ll come with you then, wash your hair for you.”

“Don’t even try-” “I’ll shower with hyung.”

Kyungsoo steps into the room, walks up to Junmyeon and wraps an arm around him. “I’ll shower with you,” he repeats, gentle but firm. “C’mon.” And he steers Junmyeon away, towards the bathroom, only giving Baekhyun a look he can’t quite decipher. 

Baekhyun is left alone, standing in the living room, everyone else unwilling to face him now. Now that he’s let go all of his anger, he feels empty, foolish, guilty. The look in Junmyeon’s eyes… But he needed to make him understand. With a resigned sigh, he gets started on preparing the cold presses for Junmyeon’s wrists and the muscle patches for his back, hoping to at least give him decent, comfortable rest. It probably won’t be in the same bed with him, maybe he’ll ask Minseok to tend to Junmyeon’s injuries instead, but that doesn’t matter. For as long as Junmyeon is alright.

I N T E R L U D E  
Kyungsoo helps Junmyeon undress, wordlessly pulling off articles of clothing from his body. Junmyeon still feels like crying, still feels raw and vulnerable, but he doesn’t say anything either. He’s thankful that Kyungsoo stepped in; he couldn’t have allowed Baekhyun to touch him now, not like this, not after what just happened.

Steady hands push him into the shower, although even that amount of pressure on his back is enough to make him whimper under his breath. Kyungsoo frowns at him but doesn’t say anything, and just turns the water on, just on the side of almost too hot. It’s a little much, but hopefully it will help with relaxing his muscles. 

Baekhyun was right to assume that he couldn’t manage on his own. Lifting his arms above his shoulders is not an option, and so he’s completely at Kyungsoo’s mercy. But Kyungsoo doesn’t complain, and his deft fingers are surprisingly gentle as they work into his hair and scalp, lathering up the shampoo and then the conditioner. 

It’s a comfortable silence, even if a bit tense. Junmyeon has always been close with Kyungsoo in this mutual understanding and respect kind of way; he still gets hit if he goofs around with him too much, but Kyungsoo also indulges him a lot. And really, Kyungsoo is so responsible and sensible that he has never needed much from Junmyeon, which is both a relief and a pity at the same time. But like this, it’s so easy to just be together, even naked, even in the same shower. Junmyeon isn’t sure if they’ve ever done this before.

“Baekhyun is right, you know, even if he was a complete dickhead about how he said it.” Kyungsoo says it like it’s no big deal, carefully scrubbing his back for him while trying not to cause him pain. It’s not working that well, but Junmyeon tries not to whine. The words sting more, even though he knows it’s true. Maybe that’s exactly why it stings.

“We all worry about you, and we don’t want to see you hurt. So please. Take care of yourself, hyung.” There’s an unusual amount of affection in Kyungsoo’s voice, and Junmyeon hangs his head down. He doesn’t know what to say. He feels bad, now, feels bad for being such an idiot, feels bad for having that argument with Baekhyun where everyone could hear. He wants to apologize, but he knows that it’s not necessary; it’s not Kyungsoo he’s hurt or fought with, after all.

Eventually they finish, and Kyungsoo is meticulous in the way that he pats him down with the towel before allowing Junmyeon to tie it around his waist himself. “Thank you,” Junmyeon whispers, small and unsure, but the smile he receives in response helps him feel more grounded already.

III  
All the members have gotten hooked on Player Unknown Battleground, even more so because Chanyeol bought them all laptops that have enough capacity for running an online game like that. They’ve all gotten quite good at it, too, and often play together in duos or groups. It’s a good way of taking away their thoughts from more stressful things, and also a good way to have something to bond over. As much as they spend time together working, they don’t necessarily share a lot of hobbies. It’s nice to have this. 

They’re having a gaming session in their dorm tonight as well. Almost everyone is there, and although playing without a desk isn’t exactly optimal, they’re not here to make high scores or anything. Having fun is what’s important. 

There’s a lot of screaming involved, a lot of cussing. They have cans of beer, as well as a variety of snacks available, and everyone is enjoying themselves. Baekhyun, as usual, is the loudest of all, while clicking away on his laptop furiously and yelling at the enemies to die. They’re being so loud that the front door opening and closing doesn’t catch anyone’s attention, and none of them look up when Junmyeon comes to hover over at the entrance to the living room. 

Eventually Chanyeol spots him there and gives him a big excited grin in greeting. “Hyung! Come play with us!”

Baekhyun glances at their leader. Things have been a bit awkward between them as of late, ever since their fight. They made up, sure, but he can tell that there’s this new tension there, and he hates it. He can’t stand awkwardness, has always insisted on becoming close with everyone in his life, but it bothers him even more that it’s Junmyeon. Junmyeon, of all people, shouldn’t feel so distant from him, shouldn’t be closed off from him. It doesn’t feel right.

How is Junmyeon going to be able to need him, if there’s all this distance between them?

Junmyeon looks so small, wrapped up in an oversized sweater that probably belongs to someone else, chewing on his bottom lip. He doesn’t have his laptop with him, and his hair is wet from a shower; maybe he was trying to go to bed, maybe their yelling was keeping him awake. “I don’t want to play tonight, thank you Chanyeol,” he says, and the way his words slur together suggests that he’s indeed feeling tired. 

Chanyeol shrugs, eyes already on his screen. He doesn’t want to be ambushed while he’s distracted by real life people. Baekhyun shouldn’t be distracted either, but Jongin and him are currently driving to make it to the circle and not much is going on, so he’s good. 

Moments pass, conversation flows as normal, and Baekhyun throws himself into it, or tries to. But he’s still so acutely aware of Junmyeon, of how he’s standing there, unsure. Like he doesn’t know if he’s welcome. Junmyeon gets that way sometimes, thinks too much about words that have been said in passing, or to tease him- starts to think that he isn’t wanted. Baekhyun bites back the urge to say something, to get up and pull him in.

Finally, Junmyeon moves in, his bare feet making no sound on the floor as he walks. He steps over Jongdae, passes by Minseok, weaves through between Chanyeol and Sehun, and no one looks up and Baekhyun doesn’t have to look, because he still knows exactly where he is. And then, Junmyeon is right there, in front of the couch Baekhyun is seated on, and then he carefully sits down next to Baekhyun, squeezing himself into space that really even isn’t there to begin with. But somehow he fits, like he fits into Baekhyun’s heart- like he had always been there.

They’re so close to one another that Junmyeon is pressed against him completely, from shoulder to knee, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Baekhyun gives him a look but goes back to the game then, and Junmyeon stays put for a while. But then, he wriggles closer, gets comfortable; his head comes to rest on Baekhyun’s shoulder, his arm looped around Baekhyun’s, his hair tickling Baekhyun’s bare neck. 

Baekhyun still doesn’t say anything, continues to play as usual, screams at Jongin to do better, shrieks when he gets ambushed. But Junmyeon is there, warm and solid, his little giggles warming him even more than the physical proximity. 

Eventually Baekhyun and Jongin both die, and Jongin gets up to go pee. Baekhyun could start a solo game in the meantime, but he chooses not to, instead tilting his head to rest his cheek on top of Junmyeon’s head. Junmyeon squeezes his bicep, and then slips his hand into his now that it’s not occupied on the keyboard anymore.

“Don’t wanna play with us?” Baekhyun asks, soft. Junmyeon shakes his head. “Don’t feel like it,” he replies. “But I didn’t want to be alone. Wanted to be close.”

And he chose him. He came to him, despite everything. To bridge the distance, perhaps. Baekhyun moves his arm to wrap it around Junmyeon’s shoulders, holds him tight.

“Hyung is glad you came,” he murmurs, low and quiet so others don’t hear. He doesn’t want to deal with their stupidity right now. “Missed you.” 

There’s a lot more he could say, but now’s not the time, or the place. And maybe none of that is even needed. They know each other well enough to understand, with even just this. 

“Missed you too,” Junmyeon whispers back. “I’m sorry I didn’t- didn’t come to you sooner. I was being stupid.”

“That’s alright. A little bit of acting stupid is allowed.” Baekhyun chuckles softly, rubs Junmyeon’s arm gently. “You’re here now. That’s what counts.”

Maybe, just maybe, Junmyeon has finally learnt to need him, has learnt to express it too. Baekhyun knows that it isn’t easy for Junmyeon who tries so hard to be strong, strong for them all, but even Junmyeon needs someone. Baekhyun wants to be that, wants to be everything Junmyeon needs.


End file.
